Southway completes delayed Burnage apartments

Contractor Rowlinson, which took over when original builder Bardsley went into administration, has handed over the £8m Dahlia House, which features 56 “age-friendly” homes on a former industrial laundry site.

The apartments are available through social rent for people over 55. Occupants will also have access to a flexible range on on-site care packages and support, depending on current and future needs.

The £8million development was initially envisaged to be completed in late 2020, as part of Southway Housing Trust’s ongoing partnership with Manchester City Council.

However, that timetable was thrown off not only by Bardsley’s collapse into administration in December 2019, but by the Covid-19 shutdown of 2020.

Dahlia House (132)

This is the second care scheme Rowlinson has delivered for Southway. Credit: Southway Housing Trust

Southway subsequently chose Rowlinson Construction to take over the project and the Cheadle-based company has now formally handed over the completed development. The first tenants are due to start moving in later this month.

Karen Mitchell, chief executive of Southway Housing, said: “This has been a complex and challenging development for many reasons and we are delighted that the hard work, flexibility and responsiveness of our staff and our partners has delivered a successful outcome which will be of real benefit to the community.

“Dahlia House is a fantastic development providing modern, Age-friendly new homes and also flexible support to tenants, to enable them to continue living rich and fulfilling lives as they grow older.”

Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and employment, added: “We know there is a real challenge to deliver enough affordable housing for older people, to ‘right size’ from family homes into more manageable properties. It’s great to see another development for people over the age of 55 that will provide high-quality social housing and with care on-site for those that need it.”

The scheme, in Burnage Lane, has 34 one-bedroom homes and 22 two-bedroom apartments. There is also a community café for both residents and the general public, a communal lounge, scooter room, landscaped gardens and assisted bathroom, as well as offices and a meeting space.

Dahlia House is the second of Southway’s ‘With Care’ developments to be completed by Rowlinson in recent months, following the 2021 opening of the £17m Gorton Mill House.

Southway owns and manages around 6,000 homes, mostly in south Manchester. In January, the organisation lodged keenly-awaited plans for its apartment scheme at Chorlton Irish Club.

Dahlia House (166)

The development is on Burnage Lane. Credit: Southway Housing Trust

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It’s great to see this development finished. It seems Rowlinsons are one of the last Contracting SME’s who are able to deliver quality schemes over and over again and are brave enough to step in to complete projects where needed…

By Anoy

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